Ok, so...I've been changing things up on the job search.

1. I started customizing each and every resume I send out for every job I apply to.
2. I've made an attempt to network with the social group I belong to. (I got 1 response, which is cool, because I had no expectations.)
3. I've joined just about every job search site there is and I've dropped everything and ran to fill out applications in person.
4. I've practiced interviewing using my web cam. (Yes...there are other reasons to use that web cam Ms. Naughty.)
5. I got a Blackberry so I can access my emails (job alert emails especially) wherever I am. I get tons of these job alerts, some are repetitive, and some are just crap. With my Blackberry I can look through them wherever I am and quickly delete all the ones that don't have a job I can apply for. Then when I get to my computer, I have only relevant job alerts left to do applications for. This saves me tons of time especially since I've had to change up my morning routine.
6. I went shopping for the past 2 days to get a 2nd interview outfit. I had only 1 interview outfit, so I figure by now having that 2nd outfit I will be prepared for that illusive 2nd interview. Thinking positive...that's what I'm doing. Also hoping that I will project that positivity in my next interview because I will be completely prepared for that 2nd interview, rather than sitting through the 1st interview, with the thought in my head "what if I get called for a 2nd? I have nothing to wear." Jeez, that sounds like a girlie thing to say. But seriously...dudes can wear the same suit to a 2nd interview, all they need to do is change up the shirt and tie. Women don't have it that easy. Just changing up the blouse, doesn't cut it.

Now for lucky #7:
7. Prayer. Yes pallies, I've been praying a lot and decided I needed some extra help. So just like when I'm going on the net to research anything, I researched this. Any Catholic knows the Patron Saint of lost articles is St. Anthony and St. Christopher is the Patron Saint of safe travel. Did you know the Patron Saint for people seeking employment is St. Joseph? I got online and was going to order prayer cards. When I found that the shipping cost was more than double the cost of the prayer cards, I started calling local religious stores. I found one in the area and picked up several so I could give to friends and family who are also job hunting. I also picked up a St. Jude medal. St. Jude is the Patron Saint for hopeless causes. Actually that's not quite that odd for me...I do have some religious jewelry.

So, if you know someone who is looking for a job, or if you would like to pray for success in my job hunt, just change up the wording a bit to apply for who you are praying for.

Here is the prayer:

Prayer to St. Joseph For Employment
Dear Saint Joseph, you were yourself once faced with the responsibility of providing the necessities of life for Jesus and Mary. Look down with fatherly compassion upon me in my anxiety with my present inability to support my family.

Please help me find gainful employment very soon, so that this great burden of concern will be lifted from my heart and that I am soon able to provide for those whom God has entrusted to my care. Help me guard against discouragement, so that I may emerge from this trial spiritually enriched and with even greater blessings from God.
Amen.

Please don't think I've cracked. Honestly, I think most people turn to prayer when they are going through troubled times. I've gone through a bit more than my fair share, and with every situation I have turned to prayer, and I have made it through. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." "God doesn't give you more than you can handle." Those sayings grate on my nerves, but I have still found them to be true.

Lola's Diner ©2008-2011

People are freaks...

Thursday afternoon I got a IM request from a person unknown to me. Silly me thought it might be a recruiter...or possibly someone from one of the online dating site. For some reason, I really thought it might be a recruiter because I don't give out my email address on the first email to a new potential date prospect. The dating sites have been dead lately...no responses, so I thought it was reasonable to assume it might be a recruiter. I thought it might even be from someone from the social group I belonged to that told me to email a friend who possibly might be able to aid in my job search.

So...I said yes to the request, saw the person was online and sent them a friendly message asking how I knew them. No response. Friday morning I saw them online again and sent a similar message. Again, no response. Friday evening, same thing, except this time I got a response. The response didn't answer my question, it just said that she was bored and had a webcam. I again asked the question, and I got more details about...you guessed it...the webcam. (I think you can guess what was said about the webcam and how she wanted to utilize it.) I responded by asking how she got my email and got more details on how she wanted to utilize the webcam. Now I'm pissed off and message back that if she doesn't tell me how I know her or how she got my email, that I'm going to block her. Her response was to dare me to do it. Umm, yeah...nevah dare me to do something. Needless to say, she's now blocked.

Since I haven't been giving out my email on the online dating sites, I can only presume that my email was culled from CareerBuilder.com where I had 1 resume that was publicly viewable. This is just another reason to not make your resume publicly viewable. The other reason is that you will get a ton of bogus emails for sales jobs. What about Accounting and Bookkeeping screams sales? Seriously?

Of course it is possible that my email address was culled from a Craigslist job posting that I responded to. But, the im request came from a clearly female name. Was this woman just sending im requests to everyone? I mean, how can you tell from my resume that I am a lesbian? Or was this just a dude, who made made up an email address with a female?

Needless to say...none of my resumes on any of the job hunting sites are publicly viewable. It's really a shame that some creeps have to ruin it for people who a genuinely looking for a job and in some cases desperately looking for a job.

Lola's Diner ©2008-2011

Blago Doesn't Want a Get Out of Jail Free Card

Like I wasn't going to comment on this news? Have you heard it? Blago wants to forgo his retrial which is set to start in April so the taxpayers can save all the money that would be spent to prosecute and to defend him (since he is indigent and can't pay for his attorney fees). Blago Wants Trial Cancelled, But Odds Are Against It - Chicago Tribune.

Is it me? Or is it coincidental that Blago filed these court documents after Rahm Emmanuel won the Governor's race?

Comment...talk amongst yourselves.

Lola's Diner ©2008-2011

Monday Mayhem - What if?

Today we are playing. “What if”
For every prompt, tell us what would happen if….

Have fun and be sure to visit the other people playing.
Woohoo!

What if…
Charlie Sheen were right about who he is, what he is saying and his “goddesses”?
The earth would spin off it's axis and go crashing into the sun.

What if…
Potato chips were declared a vegetable? Ronald Reagan would still be alive and President and we could have a vegetable and a fruit in our school lunches. Potato chips and ketchup.

What if…
All the junk going on in parts of the world ended in peace? Then the Book of Revelations would be wrong.

What if…
gas prices hit $5? If that happens...I damn well better have a job, because job hunting with no income and gas prices of $3.69 a gallon are killing me.

What if…
American Idol got canceled? What would people talk about at the water cooler? Seinfeld is history...what would anyone talk about?

What if…
the Queen of Alaska was elected president? See the first question.

What if…
talking on a cell phone while driving became illegal? The police would have to make something else illegal to rake in all the dough from the extra tickets they're writing now.

What if…
Bud and Kathy invited you to a party- would you go? I'm always up for a party...unless it's like the one I attended Saturday night.

What if…
you found $1000 sitting in the road? I would be able to pay this month's mortgage payment.

Thanks for playing- see you next week!

Lola's Diner ©2008-2011